Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Rifle Range Tuesday!

So, at one point late in the last season I realized that while I love the light weight, deadly accurate rifle I put together for last season, long-shooting off the monopod would really be easier with a heavier rifle with a longer barrel and bigger optics. To that end, let's have a look at this rifle here...

This is my idea for the heavyweight squirrel rifle. It has an 18" Clark Barrel, rimfiretechnologies, trigger, guidrod, a bolt reworked by Randy @ CPC, a custom modified and hand finished stock from Boyd's, but best of all.... it has this.This is a flanged bedding pillar made from the brass stock of a pressure hose fitting. By bedding the action on a solid tube of metal which is, in turn, epoxied into the stock allows the action and the barrel to be floated free. The result is, in theory anyway, a more accurate action and barrel combination. I also pillar bedded the trigger grouping to complete the setup.

Today was the first day at the range for it. When a barrel is new I seldom get target-worthy results on the first trip out. Today was an exception. In 200 rounds of Aquila 38 grain subsonic ammo, I had no fte's, and no ftf's. This is remarkable in my experience with a new action. Further, once the scope was set, I was able to easily score multiple hits on spend shot shells with very little effort. The whole thing worked very well. I am pleased...

Coupled with my faithful and primary shooter....I think I have the tandem for the season this year. I have a few more projects to work out, not the least of which is my 60 grain, super-subsonic bolt action rifle project. More on that one when I have more....